May 20 2011 Buddhism Newsletter

Hi all,

I just realized that the condensed versions of my current article titles might seem quite depressing in the subject line, but really, they are not that bad! The first is:

Anger, Greed, and Ignorance - The Three Poisons
Anger, greed, and ignorance are often referred to as the 'three poisons' in Buddhist teachings, and uprooting them from our mind is an important part of Buddhist practice. Learn their associated states, and methods for working to release them.http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art171729.asp

I was inspired to write that article by thoughts I had on the limitations of 'thinking positive' as it is sometimes presented in contemporary spiritual teachings. Some others have shared their views on that in the forum, if you would like to chime in (link at the end of this email.)

My second article is partly in response to the many theories of 'end days' and 2012 being discussed online and in the media right now. I felt a brief article outlining the traditional Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist teachings on our current time period might be helpful:

The Kali Yuga, Or Current Time, in Buddhism
Some branches of Buddhism, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, adhere to the idea that we are currently in a cycle of time called the Kali Yuga, often compared to Christian end-days or '2012'. Learn more about the Kali Yuga and what Buddhism teaches regarding it in this article.http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art171814.asp